Meals that take minutes and are healthy for you?Â You will find both of those with this recipe.Â What is really nice is that this can be a pantry/freezer meal.Â You keepÂ everything you need for this recipe in your kitchen for a gourmet meal with minutes notice.Â Shrimp can be pulled out of the freezer and submerged in water for a quick thaw.Â Bottled pesto, roasted red peppers and pasta are all staples in my pantry.Â Throw in a fresh lemon and you are good to go.Â We all needÂ a healthy fast recipe in ourÂ back pocket and here is the one that you should keepÂ in saidÂ pocket.

The “Flat Belly Diet! Family Cookbook“Â is filled with recipes that most in my family would eat.Â Fill a meal with fresh produceÂ seems to be the key to this cookbook.Â But shouldn’t that beÂ how we eat anyway?Â I will admit it, some nice comfort food is a requirement when you liveÂ through the harsh winters of theÂ cold upper midwest.Â You will find those dishes in this cookbook, like “Chipotle Beef andÂ Bean Chili” or “Crunchy Crust Mac and Cheese”.Â Â Because this book is dedicated to families, it also has a section on bag lunches that turns a typical bag lunch on its ear.Â How about a “Chicken and Creamy Pepper Jelly Wrap” or a “Peanut Butter-Strawberry Wrap”?Â The cookbook is full of lovely pictures and tipsÂ on fat.

The Ruling:Â Just my oldest son and I ate this, just as I knew we would.Â We love shrimp, nobody else does.Â The rest of the family had noodles with cheese and butter or sauce.Â I just made extra noodles for them and we were all happy.Â Because it is still winter, we did not have the option of an outdoor grill.Â We made the most of it and used our George Foreman grill.Â The meal was so fast and easy to put together, yet tasted as if I worked for hours in the kitchen.Â This one is a keeper.

Lemon Shrimp with Rosted Peppers, page 113

Ingredients:

1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

6 ounces multigrain spaghetti

1 toasted pepper, rinsed, patted dry, and chopped (about 1/2 cup)

1/4 cup pesto sauce

1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

Directions:

Combine the shrimp, lemon juice, and oil in a bowl.Â Refrigerate until ready to grill, but no more than 30 minutes.

PreheatÂ the grill to medium-high. Remove the shrimp from the marinade (discard the marinade) and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper. Thread the shrimp onto metal skewers or coat grill basket with cooking spray. Grill the shrimp 2 1/2 to 3 minutes per side, or until opaque. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti according to package directions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Toss with the grilled shrimp, roasted pepper, pesto, lemon zest, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

Enjoy!

To Joyful, Simplified Living,

Â MS. Simplicity

MS. Simplicity, also known as Melissa SchmalenbergerÂ operates her business as I Did it with MS. Simplicity.Â She is a Professional Organizer based out of Fargo, ND and her website can be found at www.ididit-fargo.com .Â Need to contact MS. Simplicity privately, you can email her at melissa@ididit-fargo.com.Â For daily organizing tips find the MS. Simplicity fan pageÂ here.

If you try any of my suggestions, I would love to hear from you.Â It helps me to understand what my readers want me to write about and what they think is a waste of their timeâ€¦.thanks for taking the time to help me out.